Cooking machine



Sept. 24, 1940. H. M. HUSK COOKING MACHINE Filed Oct. '12, 1939 v aSheets-Shet 1 by r 20 m :flfiornqya Sept. 24 1940. Q H R 2,215,929

CCCKING MACHINE Filed Oct. 12, 1939 5,Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 8. 5

Sept. 24, 1940. HUSK COOKING MACHINE- 3 Sheets-Sheath" Filed Odt. 12,1959 Patented Sept. 24, 1940 I I UNITED STATES FPATENT ome;

COOKING Harry ML Husk, Newburyport, lllasa, assignmto Electricooker,Ina, Newburyport, Mass a cor poration of Massachusetts ApplicationOctober 12, 1939, Serial N6. 299.128

' '1 Claims. (c1. 53-1) This invention relates to machines for cookingFig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with portions or frying variousmaterials, usually of an edible broken away, v nature, such as'nutmeats, ptato' chips, etc., in Fig. 3is an end elevation with thehousingoil or similar cooking liquid, the invention more broken away,

, particularly concerning cooking machines which Fig. 4 is a sectionalview taken on line 4-4 of 5 are semi-automatic tothe extent that theprod- Fig. 3,

net to be cooked or treated is supplied to and Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryview taken on line. removed from-the machine manually but where- 5-5 ofFig. 4, in the operation of the machine is substantially Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the heating unit, otherwise automatic. and 10 InReissue Patent No. 20,570 is disclosed a Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the elecfully automatic cooking machine more particutricalconnections. larly adapted for the cobking of nut meats, this Referringnow more specifically to the drawmachine employing a hopper andmechanism for ings, l0 indicates a base on which are mountedautomatically removing the cooked product from two housings l2 and M inrelatively spaced relathe cooking medium and delivering measured tlon.Supported on front'and rear brackets l5 quantities of the uncookedproduct from the on the base is\. a tank or-container it for the hopperto the cooking medium following the recooking liquid. In Fig. 6 isillustrated an elecmoval of the cooked product, the machine opertricalheating unit, hereinafter more specifically ating automatically andcontinuously. In my described, and this unit includes a supporting g0co-pending application Ser. No. 195,121, filed block I8 slotted at is toreceive the top edge por- March 10, 1938, I have disclosed a relativelytion Zll-ot' the tank. When the slot is engaged simple and lessexpensive semi-automatic cookover such edge portion the downwardly exingmachine which is constructed to operate and tending legs 2! of theheater extend into the cook in a manner similar to the said fullyautotank along a side wall thereof and the horizontal matic machine, andthe primary object of my bottom portion 22 is spaced from but locatedadpresent invention herein disclosed is the produc- Jacent to the bottomof the tank. A foraminous tion of an improved semi-automatic cookingmabasket 24 of a size and configuration correspondchine of this nature.ing to the inside of the tank is adapted to be re- My invention isconcerned more'particularly ceived vertically into and moved verticallyout with a home or restaurant cooker into which may of the tank, thebasket being provided with a be placed and cooked'variousedibles andwhich supporting and carrying handle 25 extending will automaticallyremove the edibles from the laterally thereof and horizontally beyondthe .cooking medium when the cooking is completed. basket and containerwhereby it can be freely The machine includes a container for thecookgraspedand the basket conveniently carried from ing liquid, aforaminous basket or other suitthe machine without exposing the hands tothe able holder for the product to be cooked and an heat of thebasket orcontainer. electric heating unit for the cooking liquid, these Supportedon the base lllwithin the housing l4 elements preferably beingrelatively detachable is a vertically extending U-shaped guldeway 26whereby they can be conveniently washed and and slidable' within theguideway through its cleansed independently, all-of which features areopen top and is a bar 28 bifurcated at its lower broadlydisclosed in mysaid co-pending appliend to receive the stud 30 on the top end of acation. My improved construction disclosed herelink 3|, the botto'mendof the link being conin is relatively simpler, more compact, moreconnected to a rotary crank 32. The top end of the venient, and moreeconomical to manufacture, bar is bent horizontally toward the container5 these .improvements comprising novel featuresof I6 to provide asupport 34 for receiving the basconstruction and re-arrangement of partsall of ket handle 25, the front portion ofthe handle bewhich contributeto the superior product hereining received between two lugs 35 on thesupport. after more specifically described. A bridge piece 36 rearwardlythereof on the han- These and other features of the invention will dieis adapted to be received beneath a rearbecome more apparent from'thefollowing dewardly extending finger 38 on the support. When scribedembodiment of the sameillustrated in thus engaged, as illustrated inFigs. 2 and 4, the the accompanying drawings and wherein, basket is heldsecurely on the support.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved cookin When the basket is in itslowermost and cookmachine, I ing position in the container, the weightof the 66 basket and its support 34 is carried by the stud 30. Rotationof the crank 32 is adapted to raise the support and lift the basket fromthe cooking liquid. At the uppermost end of this lift a spring pressedlatch 40 carried by the bar 28 engages the top end of the guideway 26and retains the support and basket in raised position independently ofthe crank, as illustrated in Fig. 2. A thumb receiving and releasingportion 4! of the latch is located conveniently to the handle 25 wherebythe latch can be manually released when the basket is to be lowered intothe container.

The crank 32 is carried on a shaft 42 supported in two uprights 44 andis driven from'an,

electric motor 45 through reduction gearing including a shaft 46 havinga worm 41 thereon in mesh with a worm gear-48 on the shaft 42. A cam 50also carried on the shaft 42 is adapted to operate on a switch 52 in theelectric circuit as and for a purpose hereinafter described.

The heating unit illustrated in Fig. 6 embodies a supporting plate 54having mounted thereon the block I8 and a heat controlling switch box58. The heater 2l 22 is secured to the block it by a clamping plate anda socket connection 58 is carried on the outer ends of the heater. The

cooking principle employed in this machine is the.

'66 and 61.

graduated as illustrated in Fig. 1.

* thermostat B4. The thermostat is of the expansible fluid type and hascommunication with the switch through a tube 65, the thermostat and tubebeing mounted on the heating unit by clamps The clamp 66 has adownwardly extending portion for spacing the heater from the bottom ofthe container and cooperating with the slot l9 to properly support theheater. The. switch is normally in the closed position indicated in Fig.'7 and is automatically snapped to the open position when the liquidsurrounding the thermostat reaches the predetermined temperature. Thispredetermined temperature may be varied by rotating the dial 62 which issuitably The mechanism within the box 56 is standard equipment and neednot be specifically described.

The wiring circuit, through which automatic control of the cooking isefiected, is illustrated in Fig. 7 and includes a contact block 68within the housing 14 and carrying the switch 52. The switch 60 may betermed the main switch since it controls the operation of the heatingunit and. the motor, and the switch 52 is termed the auxiliary switch.The parts are shown in their nor-' ,mal positions in Fig. 7, that is,the position they 1 particular material to be cooked. The main cord .10is then plugged into the electric socket. The

only established circuit at this time is through the heating coil 12,enclosed within the tube 22, and the liquid therefore becomes heated.;This circuit extends from terminal athrough contact I4, heating coilI2, switch 60, contact 15, and to the other terminal b.

As the liquid becomes heated thermostat 64 expands and, when thetemperature predetermined by the setting of the dial 52 is reached, thethermostatic fluid pressure is suilicient to and does snap the switch 60to its open position. The heating circuit is thereby opened and acircuit is established through the motor. This circuit is as follows:terminal a, contact 14, heating coil I2, contact 18, motor 45, pivotedswitch arm 80, contact 8|, contact 16, and terminal I). The motorthereupon operates to move the Darts in the direction of the arrow fromthe position illustrated in Fig. 3 to a position wherein the cam 50engages the spring retracted 'pivoted arm 82 of the switch 52 and swingsit clockwise a distance permitting the switch arm 80 to leave contact BIand engage contact 83, a sliding pin 84 being employed between the freeend of the arm 82 and the switch arm 80. Such movement opens the motorcircuit and the parts thereupon stop with the cam holding this switch inthe broken line position indicated in Fig. 7.

The cooking liquid is now at cooking temperature and the operator placesthe material to be cooked into the basket and lowers the basket into theliquid, the latch 40 being released by pressing the thumb against thereleasing end 4| This immersion of the product quickly cools the liquidand causes contraction of the fluid in the thermostat which thereuponpermits the switch 60 to return to closed position. The heating coil I2and the motor circuit are both thereupon placed in live circuit and theparts operate in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 3) until the cam 50leaves the arm 82 whereupon the arm returns to the position of Fig. '7wherein the motor circuit is open and the parts stop in the position ofFig. 3. The'heating coil 12 .continues to provideheat to the liquidwhich continues to cook the material during the time period necessary toraise the temperature of the liquid and its contents up 'to thetemperature predetermined by the setting of the dial 62. When thistemperature is reached the cooking of the material is completed and atsuch time the expansion of the thermostatic fluid snaps the switch 60open. The above recited motor circuit through the contact 8! isthereupon re-established and the motor operates the parts from theposition of Fig. 3 to said position wherein the cam 50 holds the pivotedarm 82 to the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 7. During thefirst portion of this movement the crank 32 raises the support -34 andthe basket to the position of Fig. 2 and the latch 40 holds them in thisposition, the basket .being then above and out of the cooking liquid.The parts remain in this position with all circuits open until thecooking liquid is again cooled down to a point permitting the switch 60to close.

It is now believed apparent that I have produced and herein disclosed adeep frying or cooking apparatus which is superior in every respect tolike apparati heretofore known. The various parts are relatively simpleand inexpensive to manufacture and assemble and the operation of themachine is entirely automatic except for the setting of the dial 62 tothe proper temperature and the manual lowering of the basket intothecooking liquid. The handle 25 is always in position to be freely graspedand, as illustrated in Fig. 1, the basket is freely removable merely bygrasping the handle and moving it rearwardly sufliciently to clear thefinger 38. The latch release 4! is also conveniently located to beengaged by the thumb on the hand'which holds the handle. The motor andits wiring are tected within the housing H which may be pro vided with acover 85, the two housings I2 and I4 being spaced apart to provide anair gap therebetween protecting the operating parts from the heat of thecooking unit. It should also be particularly noted that the machine canbe disassembled for cleaning purposes merely by lifting the basket fromthe container and then the heating unit therefrom, the circuit havingdisengageabie connections at- 58 and 59 for permit,- ting i'ree removalof the heating unit.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters'Patent of the United States is,

1. In a cooking machine, a container for a,

ing liquid, 9. foraminous basket within the con? tainer, means forguiding the basket for move ment along a vertical path into and from thecontainer, means rigid with the basket and extending outwardly of thecontainer, means outside the container for receiving said rigid meansand supporting the basket, power driven means operative on the thirdnamed means for raising the basket along said path from the container,and a latch for holding the basket in its raised position independentlyoi the power means.

3. In a cooking machine, a container for a cooking liquid, a foraminousbasket within the container, a handle rigid with the basket andextending laterally thereof and horizontally beyond the basket andcontainer, a support mountedfor vertical movement adjacent to butoutside the container and having a horizontal handle receiving portion,means for releasably holding the handle horizontally in basketsupporting position on said handle receiving portion, and powerdrivenmeansiorraisingthempporapro- ing liquid, a foraminous'basketwithin the con- 7 tainer, a vertical guideway adjacent to butoutperature.

, 3 4. In a cooking machine, a container for, a cookside the container,a support mounted for vertical movement in the guideway, means forreleasably holding the basket on the support, power driven means forraising the support, and means including a releasable la'tch for holdingthe support in raised position independently of the power driven means.

5. In a cooking machine, a container for a cooking liquid, 2:.foraminous basket within the container, a removable liquid-tightelectric heat-' tainer reaches a predetermined temperature.

6. The cooking machine defined in claim 5 plus an electric circuit forthe heating unit and motor and including a switch normally closed toposition closing the heating circuit and arranged in open position toestablish the motor circuit, and

unit and switch, said support with the combined heating unit andthermostatic means and the switch providing an assembly removable fromthe machine as a unit. I

7. In a cooking machine, a base,/a container for a cooking liquidsupported on the base, a foraminous basket within the container, ahousing about the container, a second housing on the base adjacent tobut spaced from the first housing,a support above the second housing,means on the support for removably holding the basket thereon with thebasket in the container, and

means including an electric motor and electrical, connections within thesecond'housing for raising the support and basket when the cookingliquid inthe container reaches a predetermined temmeans providing asupport carrying the heating ma ma

